News Briefs

On Tuesday, Jan. 29, a small group of Dallas ISD students got to tour a new hospital building – virtually. Students from Young Women’s STEAM Academy at Balch Springs, D.A. Hulcy STEAM Middle School and Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy were actually at the north Dallas building where the McCarthy Building Companies’ Dallas offices are housed. Through virtual reality headsets, the students were inserted into the three-dimensional digital renderings and able to “walk” into rooms and down hallways. The virtual-reality experience is immersive, but students could also experience “augmented reality,” which is a digital experience that adds elements to the…

Students at Nathaniel Hawthorne Elementary School in grades 3–5 had the recent opportunity to experience an on-campus field trip. TAME, also known as Texas Alliance for Minorities in Engineering, provided a grant to the campus, which accommodated nearly 200 students in a 40-foot trailer. TAME’s traveling STEM museum-on-wheels included hands-on interactive exhibits on energy, space, biotechnology, weather, and aerodynamics mapped to the TEKS. Students left the exhibits with new knowledge in relation to science TEKS and STEM professions.

Catch up on the district’s great news in under a minute!  Two New TAG Schools Parents looking for a gifted and talented school for their child now have two additional options available in Oak Cliff (learn more). Extra Extracurriculars These three sisters are involved in 18 different sports and clubs at Sunset High School (read this). MLK Oratory Champ William Brown Miller Elementary’s Jasira King won the MLK Jr. Oratory Competition with her powerful speech (see the winners). Teachers Of The Year Celebrated Alex Sanger Preparatory staged an assembly to celebrate Dallas ISD Elementary Teacher of the Year Elisa Morrisey and J.L. Long Middle School held…

In August, students from seven Dallas ISD elementary schools received uniforms for their schools from the Pat and Emmitt Smith Charities at a special pep rally-style event at Ellis Davis Field House. Part of the event included free medical and vision screenings. J.N. Ervin Elementary School was one of the participating campuses, but the need for eye exams and – in some cases – eyeglasses went beyond the students who were served in August. On Friday, Jan. 25, an Essilor Vision truck pulled up to the front Ervin Elementary to conduct vision screenings for additional students. The Essilor Vision Foundation will…